Does anyone have any information on this dealer of the 70's? I think they went Datsun later. Would like to contact any one that worked there.
I have a letter welcoming the new owner of a 15 million beetle t the dearlership signed by the servcie manager
thanks Rob

Don't know bout the VW dealership,but i remember late 70's early 80's i think there was a datsun dealer in Barkly street not to far from Jimmy Wongs.
I seem to remember a 180b or something on a rotating display.....very fancy..
Sorry i'm no real help at all......don't even know why i bothered typing this.................

Yep thats the one! It would have been a 180B !

There were a series of Volkswagen dealers in Footscray.

The first was L.V. Haack Motors Pty Ltd, of 242 Barkly St. They were a VW dealer from 1956 to 1971. According to Google Earth, that site is now a large apartment block with shops on the ground floor.

The second was Edmund Best, of 454 Geelong Rd. They took over from L.V.Haack in 1971, and advertised themselves as 'The Hub of the West'. They were relatively short-lived, ending in 1977. It sounds like they may have sold Datsuns in addition to VWs; they were listed as a VW dealer up to and including 1976.

The third was Wyss & Woodward Pty Ltd, at the same address (454 Geelong Rd). The Edmund Best business must have undergone a change of ownership, but Wyss & Woodward only lasted one year into 1978.

The fourth was West Footscray Motors, also at 454 Geelong Rd. They were listed as a VW dealer from 1978 to 1982, but they must have sold other makes as well to stay in business, and probably dropped VW entirely when the Golf and Passat were discontinued. The site is still a car dealership, but now a used car dealership called Geelong Road Motors. I don't know, but I am guessing that Footscray Mechanical Repairs (around the corner in Kororoit St) was probably the VW dealership's service workshops as it backs on to the sales yard out front.

You may find some period ads for the VW dealership by going to the Maribrynong central library and looking in local newspaper microfiche rolls for 1971-77. It's a lot of work, but usually rewarding if you find VW stuff.

Thanks for all that infor Phil.... Very interesting i must say....

The letterhead does quote "Hub of the West"

The service managers name was Bill Midgley. Hows that for a name!

I just wonder if any of the old staff are still around...
I will take a drive down there soon to check out the place... Just love the history

Was a customer (for repairs and parts) of West Footscray Motors from 1980 to 1982 or so. The service workshop entrance was from the side street, behind the yard and Parts office. They became a Subaru dealer, as did Lake Moonee Motors, and probably many others.

Yes. LNC Industries was the owner of the 'Volkswagen Australia' company from 1968 until the mid-1980s when it was closed down. LNC lost the VW franchise to Ateco in 1987.

LNC Industries owned several other franchises in the 1970s, apart from VW, including Perkins, Colt/Bellet and Yamaha. They had the Rover franchise for years, but lost it to Leyland Australia in 1973. To balance that, LNC then bought the Australian franchise for Subaru. Rather than open a new dealer chain, as they did with their other makes, LNC simply sold Subarus through their existing VW dealer chain. All the existing VW dealers, across Australia, became joint VW-Subaru dealers. As the '70s wore on and VW sales dropped, while Subaru sales rose, the dealers became Subaru primarily with VW just a minor sideline. Others also took on some of LNC's later franchises too, including Fiat, Renault and Lancia. The late '70s and early 80s was a bad time for VW here.

Even earlier, quite a few VW dealers became Nissan-Datsun dealers in 1969-70-71 after Nissans began assembly in the VW factory. I'm thinking of two in Sydney, Progressive Motors in Liverpool and Robert Dewley at Bankstown, that went from VW to Datsun.

Interesting info guys. I've finally worked out what that sticker on my engine hatch was! I always thought it was some sort of club (rotary or similar). It was always illegible until one cut and polish had a miraculous effect - it showed up the word footscray (bottom) and ...und best (top). I'd googled a couple of times over the years but to no avail. I bought my camper in 96 from a yard in Brisbane for $1300. A friend later told me it's previous owner must of been at Laverton RAAF base as it had a little "LAV" sticker on the front bumper. He'd been a chef there in the 70's so recognised it. When footscray appeared on the sticker that made sense. I'm getting all nostalgic as I get older and would love to track down the original owner (i'm fairly confident it was them and me as all that's owned the old fella). So here the search starts.... Any more info you come across would be most appreciated.

Have you been to Maribrynong Library yet? Have a look through their microfiche of local newspapers from the early 1970s. I'm sure you'll find ads for the VW dealer.

Hey there Beetlecab,

My dad worked at Haacks, Edmund Best, Wyss & Woodward, West Footscray Motors and Lake Moonee Motors. It was great to read this post, it brought back a lot of good memories. Did you get all the information that you were after?